Malaysia needs 180,000 workers in automotive industry until 2020

Malaysia needs about 180,000 workers to fill vacancies in the automotive industry from now until 2020, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said.

From 2000 until 2014, a total of 550,000 workers were involved in the automotive industry, one of the main contributors to the national revenue and the economy.

"In 2014 alone, some 21,000 people were involved in the automotive industry and about 180,000 workers more are needed until 2020.

"Apart from providing employment, the automotive industry is also a contributor to the stable national revenue. Human capital is very important as we strive to master technology," he said when opening Pekan Gegar AutoRia at Taman Tasik Sultan Abu Bakar here, today.

In an effort to increase the number of workers in the automotive industry, the government would focus on Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) to produce more high skilled workers.

This was the essence of the 11th Malaysia Plan (11MP) tabled two days ago.

The automotive industry should explore environmentally friendly high technology to produce Energy Efficient Vehicles (EEV).

Najib said Gegar Autoria recognised the role of Pekan as Malaysia's hub for the automotive industry which has brought benefits to the people of Pekan.

"The Pekan landscape has changed with the existence of automotive factories such as Isuzu, Hicom, Mercedes and Volkswagen.

"The establishment of the International College of Automotive (ICAM) provides learning facilities to students taking courses in the automotive industry.

"Thousands of jobs have been created with the opening of these factories and locals no longer have to look for automotive jobs in the Klang Valley," he said.

At the ceremony, Najib also launched MAI Aftermarket Apps, an intelligent automation based on the cloud computing designed for workshop operators and vehicle distributors.